Something New, Something Cherished - Part 2

Last week, I shared our "new" England experiences, this week I'll share some of our cherished England revisited!

As you know, we're foodies so of course we had to get all of our favorites!!

Ooops, someone got so excited to dig in they forgot to let me take a photo first.  This may or may not be MY plate! lol

Can't have the fish without the chips and mushy peas!

Steak and mushroom pie

Sticky toffee pudding - just one of many we had - and not the best - that honor belongs to those made by our cherished friend, Dani.

One simply must have tea and scones when in England. Yorkshire scones are huge and delicious but were missing and essential ingredient - clotted cream!  We remedied that - MANY - times during the second part of our trip - but the very best ones were at Vintage Blue Tea room in Lavenham. Which also served Eton Mess- another family favorite.

The Vintage Tea Room not only has delicious food, its adorable!

 More fish and chips - in Whitby.  We enjoyed eating them outside in a seaside town.  Our family did a taste test and decided we are a "haddock" family and preferred it over the cod.

When we lived near Cambridge, the girls were a little small for punting on their own so we made a trip back to let them give it a go.  Our smallest member was the best punter.  Our cherished friend Joe joined us and in addition, to providing us with this great photo, provided us our best adventure and a great day of memories!

London West End shows are definitely a family favorite.  On this trip, it mean rising at 5:00am and driving 5 hours in the rain to get to a tube station to make our way into the city but it was oh so worth it!!!!

As you can see my family and I are quite passionate about England and LOVE it. I would love to help you plan a trip there and experience all that is special about it!

Something New, Something Cherished -Part 1

My family had the privilege of returning to our beloved England this summer.  During our 3 years living there, we'd never made it to the North Yorkshire Moors so decided to spend the first part of our trip there and experience a "new to us" part of England.

It did not disappoint!!  A gorgeous drive across the moors with its fields of purple heather - not quite at their peak but still beautiful, brought us to our cottage at Church House Farm where we enjoyed spectacular views from our garden and from our walks.

Local Fairy house

While there we enjoyed a couple nice day trips - including a visit to Whitby Abbey and the town of Whitby.  Do you know the literary significance of Whitby Abbey?  Answer below...

199 Steps from Whitby Abbey to the town.  We started at the top and went down - and took the shuttle back UP!

Whitby was inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula.

What's a summer vacation without a beach day?  Apparently many others agreed because we began our day at one beach and had to abandon our plans when we couldn't find a single parking spot anywhere in town, and moved on to Runswick Bay which was stunning. The walk down was very steep but my chivalrous husband  played chauffeur and dropped us and picked us up at the bottom.

I want to live in that white house all the way on the end but I got vetoed!

On our way home from the beach, I wanted to catch the Hogwarts Express - but alas I missed it!

I did get to visit the station for a bit.




We thoroughly enjoyed our time in the Moors and have a new "cherished" portion of England to love!  In Part 2, I'll share our cherished favorites revisited!

Mother Daughter Time

As a mother of five, I tend to get very busy in the small details of day to day life: menu planning, schooling, after-school activities, cleaning, laundry, diapers, college applications, etc. So when my husband suggested I take our oldest daughter on a vacation, my jaw dropped to the floor. I wasn't even sure how to process his comment. After picking up my jaw and discussing it more, we decided to start a family tradition. The year that each child turns 18/graduates, they get to go on a vacation with mom. Just the two of us. Yay!

Our oldest turned 18 and graduated this past year, so we got to plan our trip. Given this daughter's personality, I knew going somewhere warm during the winter months (we live in Minnesota) would be a fabulous choice for her. So we started throwing around some ideas that mostly involved flying somewhere warm and renting a car and exploring. Sounds fun, right? Then Kristy suggested a cruise. Wait, what?!? I can't afford a cruise. But after looking into it, I was surprised to find that we could totally afford a cruise. They are way more reasonable than most people realize!

We decided on a Royal Caribbean cruise to the Bahamas. What an experience! This was a first for both of us, so every little thing was new. Being out on the ocean was pretty amazing and ridiculously good for the soul. The food was incredible; the beaches were beautiful; the food was delicious; exploring Nassau was breathtaking; the food was drool-worthy; the ocean was soothing...and did I mention the FOOD?

Visiting the private beach destination, CocoCay, was one of our favorite parts of the cruise. Sitting on the beach, soaking up the hot sun, drinking out of pineapples-- Paradise. Seriously. My feet miss that sand.

My daughter's highlights were seeing the beaches and all the cute Bahamian shops, along with the amazing cuisine served on the cruise by the same waiters every meal. My highlight was the food and history tour we went on while at port in Nassau. I was shocked at how much fascinating information and delicious food was packed into just a few short hours. That went above and beyond my expectations. Our tour guide, Joy, was full of interesting information and was clearly very passionate about her homeland and its rich culture and diverse cuisine.

The ship itself was filled with endless entertainment and fun things to see and do: nightly shows, comedians, pools, hot tubs, a rock wall, bungee trampolines, an arcade, shops, a spa, an orchestra, live bands, theme nights, game shows, a casino, movies on deck, dancing, restaurants, classes--the list goes on and on.

I am so glad my daughter and I were able to go on this adventure together. Making memories like this is my favorite thing to do.

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique for Boys?

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique for Boys?

One of my favorite things to do in Disney World is watch a little girl transform into a princess. The way she carries herself, the smile on her face, and the look of awe from everyone around her are delightful. In Disney that means one thing... the little girl has just gotten a makeover at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique(BBB). There are two locations located in Walt Disney World. The most popular one being at Magic Kingdom and the secondary one located at Disney Springs.  Prices exist  for every budget starting with very basic hair and nails and moving up to the extravagance that Disney is known for. It’s no secret that I’m a "boy mom."  I truly thought I’d never get to experience the BBB magic. When I found out my niece was going to partake I was a little jealous. That is until my sister-in-law told me that they had a package for boys! And the best part of the whole deal.... it was only $19.95 plus tax! I immediately called and made reservations. 

We chose the Disney Springs location in order to accommodate my two boys who are both six years old and my niece who was three at the time. BBB is located in between Earl of Sandwich, The Void, and Once Upon a Toy. We arrived about 30 minutes before our reservation and  were told to come back closer to our appointment. The lobby area is extremely small and cannot accommodate more than six people or so. Within a few minutes of our appointment time, we were called back to meet our stylist, also known as a Fairy Godmother. All three of the children were called together, and we were  placed in a small room. Waiting in the room were the two shields for my sons that came with their package. I was so impressed with the quality of the shields.  The dragon version of Maleficent  was on each shield face. They looked like they cost more than $20 which was the cost of the whole experience. Then we were left alone in a room where a certain very special fairy godmother came to greet us through a mirror. We were all shocked and amazed. After that each child went up to the mirror to talk about how he or she wanted his or her hair.  We were then led to the styling room and my boys received gel and pixie dust and were presented to their audience. The hairstyle itself took less than 10 minutes. After that they were swept off to their photo session. 

My boys truly felt special, and I highly recommend the Knight package for any boys who would appreciate some pampering.The whole experience took approximately 20 minutes, but it created incredible memories that will last a lifetime.